‘The Key Is to Keep Pushing.’ Anita Hill Speaks Up on Bill O’Reilly and Sexual Harassment

Anita Hill sparked a movement propelling women fighting sexual harassment in the workplace forward in 1991. Now she’s raising her voice amid sexual assault allegations against recently ousted Fox news host Bill O’Reilly.

“We have a whole host of people accepting that as just something men do as opposed to understanding it as predatory behavior that is not only immoral but is also illegal,” Hill told USA Today in an interview published late Wednesday.

Hill jolted the country’s focus on gender discrimination when she alleged that her former boss — Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas — had sexually harassed her in a milestone televised Senate confirmation testimony. Thomas denied the allegations, and was eventually confirmed to the high court.

Hill said the tide may be turning, but that women need to continue to speak up about misconduct.

“The idea that these kinds of behaviors can stay hidden is fading because there are ways to get them out,” Hill said. “When you deal with someone like Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly, the key is for people to keep coming forward.”